The most helpful favourable review

The most helpful critical review

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 starsChicken Soup for the Introverted Soul
As a young introvert, I have long wondered about myself. Why is it that I don't LOVE going to bars and clubs when all my friends have such a great time? Why is it that I am comfortable spending a weekend in the comfort of my own home with a good book, when everyone else seems to want to have a loud dinner and hang out?

3.0 out of 5 starsMore Bookish Thoughts...
The introverts of Susan Cain's new book, 'Quiet,' don't experience their inwardness positively; rather, they see it as "somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology." Many even fake extroversion through ebullience, dominance, risk-taking and thoughtlessness with disastrous results. Thus, in a book that combines reporting and social science research, Cain argues...

Ce commentaire est de: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (Hardcover)

As a young introvert, I have long wondered about myself. Why is it that I don't LOVE going to bars and clubs when all my friends have such a great time? Why is it that I am comfortable spending a weekend in the comfort of my own home with a good book, when everyone else seems to want to have a loud dinner and hang out?

The book is well-written and engaging from beginning to end. The information is relevant and applicable. The information is presented in a highly readable (and not overly academic) manner. Through reading it, I've gained insight into who I am and why I should accept my personality and all its idiosyncrasies.

I consider myself blessed to have read Ms. Cain's book. I would recommend this book to not just fellow introverts, but to extroverts as well. Everyone benefits from understanding introverts a little bit more.

Ce commentaire est de: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (Hardcover)

Throughout most of her book, Susan Cain takes a balanced approach to the immensely difficult task of examining the advantages and disadvantages of being primarily an introvert as well as those of being primarily an extrovert. I use the term 'primarily' in the context of culture as well as one's temperament, personality, preferences, tendencies, and (yes) volition. 'If given a choice'' is a helpful phrase. Some people dread being the center of attention whereas the behavior of others indicates a pathological need for it. Not all introverts are shy and reluctant, however, and not all extroverts are bombastic and impulsive. Moreover, expediency can also come into play. As Walt Whitman affirms in 'Song of Myself,' each person is 'large''and contains 'multitudes.'

When writing her book, Cain was guided and informed by research in social science (e.g. Carl Jung, Jerome Kagan, Elaine Aron, C.A. Valentine, David Winter) supplemented by what she had learned from her own observations. She examines the inadequacies of several concepts such as charismatic leadership, the New Groupthink, the "Extrovert Ideal" (i.e. "the omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight"), being or at least seeming "cool," collaborative innovation, and being a more "assertive" student in the classroom. Historians' accounts and media coverage must share at least some of the blame for widespread but remarkably durable misconceptions about eminent persons such as Warren Buffett, Dale Carnegie, Albert Einstein, Mohandas Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Steven Spielberg, and Steve Wozniak. However great their impact on others may be, all are (or were) essentially introverted. What else do they share in common? They are renowned for being thoughtful, indeed reflective, tending to take more time than others do to make sound decisions and to reach correct conclusions.

Ironically, Carnegie is among the pioneers of self-help programs that emphasize "winning friends and influencing people," the title of a book first published in 1936 that continues to be a bestseller. According to Cain, Carnagey (who later changed his name "likely to evoke Andrew Carnegie, the great industrialist") was a good-natured but insecure high school student. He was skinny, unathletic, and fretful. His subsequent career from farmboy to salesman to public- speaking icon demonstrates a shift in America "from what influential cultural historian Warren Susman called a Culture of Character to a Culture of Personality - and opened up a Pandora's Box of personal anxieties from which we would never quite recover."

By the end of the book, Cain seems to include in the introvert category almost anyone who is "reflective, cerebral, bookish, unassuming, sensitive, thoughtful, serious, contemplative, subtle, introspective, inner-directed, gentle, calm, modest, solitude-seeking, shy, risk-averse, thin-skinned." Surely many (most?) of those who are extroverts also demonstrate one (if not several) of these attributes, at least occasionally. How would she categorize, for example, Richard Feynman?

The much more important point, in my opinion, is that assigning a label such as introvert or extrovert to someone denies the human complexity to which Whitman referred. Obviously, some people are more or less introverted or extroverted than others. It's also obvious, that some situations (usually in a social context) require outgoing behavior whereas other situations (usually in an intellectual or spiritual context) require solitude, tranquility, perhaps even isolation.

For me, some of Cain's most valuable material is provided in Chapter 11, "On Cobblers and Generals" (especially pages 250-258) when she discusses the implications and consequences of many (most?) schools that are designed for extroverts. "The purpose of school should be to prepare kids for the rest of their lives, but too often what kids need to be prepared for is surviving the school day itself." She goes on to observe, "The school environment can be highly unnatural, especially from the perspective of an introverted child who loves to work intensely on projects he cares about, and hang out with one or two friends at a time." Cain offers several key points for teachers to consider (e.g. "Teach all kids to work independently"), followed by several key points for parents to consider if they able to select a school (e.g. one that hires and supports teachers "who seem to understand the shy/serious/introverted/sensitive temperament"). I agree with Cain that appearance is not reality...but the fact remains, that the misconceptions she repudiates in her book are no less "real" because they are wrong, nor are the "personal anxieties from which we would never quite recover."

Ce commentaire est de: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (Hardcover)

I'm an introvert and unshamed of it. This is a great book for both introverts and extroverts to read. For introverts, because it .explains why we act and feel as we do, especially in the extro-slanted North American culture. For extroverts, because it explains to them (if they are interested) how the other half of the world works, and how they need us in order to provide balance and sanity in a world that has gone mad. My wife is a confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool extrovert (they say opposites attract!); I think she now understands me a little better, which is nice for both of us!The chapters on business and religion are excellent, and explained a lot to me. If only businesses would take these things to heart!The one weakness of the book is towards the end. It seems to peter out with a long "sermon" on how to bring up your (possibly) introverted child. Now of course it is important for parents of young children to understand who they are dealing with, but since those days are long past in my life, I found it rather tedious.But all in all, a great read, a great source of inspiration, and a book that everyone should read.

“The secret to life is to put yourself in the right lighting. For some, it’s a Broadway spotlight; for others, a lamplit desk. Use your natural powers — of persistence, concentration, and insight — to do work you love and work that matters. Solve problems, make art, think deeply.” – Susan Cain

Action. Boldness. Charisma. Harvard Business School and modern society are unanimous on the importance of these values. Not achieving them, therefore, signals failure: that we are too introspective, too reflective, and too contemplative. Susain Cain disagrees, and in Quiet argues that society grossly undervalues introversion. Choosing not to go to the party, or indeed to hide in the bathroom when you’re at the party, is not a sign of weakness: rather, it’s simply a preference for a life with less external stimulation, a model society might do well to learn from.

To understand introversion, she traces it back to childhood. Highly reactive children, ones who respond strongly to stimulus, are actually more likely to be introverts than low reactive children. It is people who find external stimulation overwhelming who therefore seek to limit that stimulation, and so become more inwardly focused. For Cain, it’s a biological difference, not disadvantage.

Studying fish, she points out that bold fish are more likely to rush into traps and get caught than shy fish, but once in captivity, bold fish start eating the food earlier than shy fish and have a much higher survival rate. For humans, introversion predicts academic success in university better than cognitive ability, and an introvert’s focus on reflection means that in the lab they spend longer on tasks and do better at them. A world with less decisiveness and more forethought, therefore, might well be a better world. There is, after all, “zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.”

As befits a book written for introverts, Cain has written a book inspiring both action and reflection. At times it reads as a cheerleader for self-conscious introverts, encouraging them to be proud of their status, but it also relies on theories of learning and child-development to understand possible benefits to introversion and how people develop such traits. Of course, in serving as cheerleader for introversion, her examples of extraverted individuals can sometimes feel caricatured, and her description of introverts can sometimes feel like it includes all possible virtues. A few sections can also feel a bit slow, not contributing much to the thrust of the argument. Still, for any introvert feeling self-conscious in a world of extroverts, the book is a must read.

Ce commentaire est de: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (Hardcover)

As an introvert myself I felt I had to read this book. Overall I found this book did not disappoint. Cain zeroes in on the specific strengths of introverts and how they make a difference. In a world that often sends the message that you should be an extrovert or at least act like one it's good to be reminded of what introverts can do that extroverts can't. Focus, patience, sensitivity, the ability to take strong positions without being antagonistic . . .

The most revealing parts were the places where Cain describes environments that were nearly entirely introverted or extroverted. Something was wrong. Hardly earth-shattering but I think that the message that both extroverted and introverted strengths are required is the ultimate takeaway from this book.

The sub-title of the book intrigued me because, as an introvert, I feel that so many people talk without really saying anything and yet they seem compelled to talk. I worked in an open space office for some years and the constant chatter almost drove me crazy. I would go home some nights very stressed. There was no way to shut it out. All my life I have never been able to talk just for the sake of talking or to fill empty air, yet I felt uncomfortable letting silence fall so I tried and it taxed my energy - I did not enjoy doing that. At some point, I decided that I wasn't going to do that anymore. There is nothing wrong with being silent but the rest of the world seems to expect constant talk, ironically called 'conversation'. It was hard at first, but I learned to be very comfortable with it. I came to the conclusion that there is nothing wrong with being an introvert! I am articulate and am not hesitant to speak out with my thoughts and opinions when it's meaningful and I'm in an interesting conversation with someone or with a small group of people because we are all contributing to a real conversation.

What this book does is to validate those introverts - myself included - that have been made to feel that there is something 'wrong' with them when they sit quietly in a group that is chattering madly. There is nothing 'wrong' with being an introvert - it's just a different way of relating to people and to the world in general. I think we do think 'deep' thoughts and we are interested in many subjects and want to learn about them in depth. We definitely do have a certain 'power' that extroverts don't have. And yet the world needs both kinds of people. So if you are an introvert and have felt alone in this classification, fear not. You are not alone and you are powerful. Value the strengths you have and don't feel compelled to join in when you don't want to.

Ce commentaire est de: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (Hardcover)

Being an Introvert is not Bad like our western society has taught us.This book is truly an eye opener for Extroverts and Introverts alike.For once in my life I now truly understand why I am the way I am and that it is not Wrong.All my life, In school, at work and sometimes in my personal life I have been pushed to do things like an Extrovert which has always led to me feel below myself and at times having to pretend to be something I am not .Long story short, this book is the life changer that has lifted the shroud of discomfort and un-acceptance that I have faced my entire life.To everyone that can relate to me, read this book. To everyone that is saying WTF is he talking about, read this book.To everyone that says MEH, take the effort to do this one simple thing and read this book.To everyone that has a child or works with children, trust me, this book could save you from making mistakes that could truly affect a child. Extroverted Parents can have Introverted Children and forcing them to be otherwise without understanding them can be damaging.

Ce commentaire est de: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (Hardcover)

The book "Quiet" makes for an interesting read. The author, Susan Cain, goes to great lengths to remind us that perhaps we ought to take a second look at how we evaluate others, and ourselves. And she makes a strong and eloquent case for honoring the significant contributions of those who are introverts by nature. And the book, very much like the thesis it outlines, will likely take its place on our shelves like the quiet people she advocates for. But also, like those people,( Rosa Parks, Leonardo,and Michelangelo ), her book will seep into our collective thinking like the water which seeps unnoticed into our soil to cool and nourish the roots. And with time, thanks to her tender message, our views about the complicated business of dealing with who we are, will be a little more refined. What can we say about such an author? How about this. Thank you :)Paul

Ce commentaire est de: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (Hardcover)

I found this book to be very timely and it will help evaluate my own career and personal development. I totally related to the feelings and experiences articulated by the author. I agree that there is a systematic (likely unconscious) bias against individualism - starting in the school system and carrying over into office environments I have worked in. Of course most of us adapt to these 'rules' without much trouble, however it is very nice to know that there is nothing 'wrong' with my personality. It was very interesting to find out how our natures don't always conform to the 'ideals' of current society, and the historical 'personality' transformation that N. America underwent around the early 1900s. I've never felt comfortable around salesmen, sales pitches, assertions without solid foundation, or public speaking. I now have some fact based explanations for why I feel sensitive and often over-think. Among all the useful knowledge in the book, I think the main message I'm taking away is that it's OK to be YOUrself.

A great read not only for the quiet thinker but also for us screaming extroverts. As a team leader I gained a better understanding of my quiet team members and will use this to information to lead not only them but all team members better.